Microsoft takes scareware companies to court

Microsoft Monday slapped antiscareware lawsuits against two businesses, Branch Software and AlphaRed,

and their product, Registry Cleaner XP, reports Internetnews.com. Scareware are pop-up ads that offer to scan users' PCs for problems and directs users to Web sites where they can download software fixes for payment. Microsoft teamed up with the Attorney-General of Washington State, Rob McKenna to put the lawsuits in motion. "We will not tolerate scams to trick consumers into buying software to solve problems that don't exist," McKenna told reporters. Microsoft said it has seven lawsuits against such scareware.

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